Ban on holidays in term time penalises key workers

Police, firemen and postmen can't all go on holiday simultaneously

What a carry on: millions will soon be grappling with the family’s annual holiday packing dilemma Photo: PHOTOLIBRARY.COM

6:59AM BST 14 Jul 2014

SIR – Michael Gove’s ban on holidays in term time has led to several prosecutions (report, July 12). But police, firemen, postal delivery staff and other key workers cannot all simply down tools and push off on seven weeks’ summer holiday. If vital services are to be maintained, their holidays need to be evenly spread, meaning that some of these workers’ holidays will be squeezed into term time.

Are their children expected to have no holidays or to holiday with just one parent?

Peter Forrest London N6

SIR – During 18 years of headship in the primary sector, I had many requests from parents to take their children on holiday during term time. I cannot remember refusing any of them.

On most occasions the parents could not go away at any other time, or could not afford the ridiculous price hikes during holiday periods. Most requests were during the summer term when, in any case, there were a lot of disruptions such as sports days or swimming galas. We prepared a programme of work for the children to complete during their absence. The resultant goodwill was of great benefit to the school.

The black shirts, combat trousers and boots of police officers, together with their often shaved heads and frequent stubble, makes them look unapproachable. Where did the idea of baseball caps come from, and what practical use do they serve?

Do their managers not care what the public thinks about them?

Dr Chris Daley Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Operation Jupiter

SIR – Yourleading article rightly recalls our soldiers’ bravery in the First World War and today. Last Friday, a House of Commons motion also commemorated Operation Jupiter, that took place during the Second World War on July 10-12 1944. This was part of the pivotal 40-day battle for Hill 112 near Caen, a hill that Rommel described as the key to Normandy. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and its intensity has been compared by military historians to Verdun and Passchendaele. 7,000 soldiers died – 2,000 of them in 24 hours.

Operation Jupiter was fought by the 130 Brigade of the 43rd (Wessex) Division – comprising young, courageous Territorials including Royal Artillery, Royal Tank Regiments and county infantry regiments from Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Cornwall, Worcestershire and Scotland – against the fanatical SS Hitlerjugend, Panzer, Tiger and Grenadier tank battalions. Those who defeated Hitler’s Germany and saved our country, our parliamentary democracy and Europe itself must also now be remembered.

Sir Bill Cash MP (Con)

London SW1

Off yer bike, postie

SIR – I live in a small village that is served by two postmen, whom I recently complimented on a brand-new Post Office van. They explained that they were not allowed to use their bicycles any more on health-and-safety grounds, in case they fell off. They said they only did two miles a day in the van, which was taxed and insured. Is this why the price of stamps has gone up?

Lindy Dane

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

The demise of the pub

SIR – Mark Prior is far from alone in regretting that pubs have become like kindergartens (Letters, July 12).

Licensees today are so desperate to get people through the door that they will tolerate unacceptable behaviour. In doing so they drive away good customers.

Iain Gordon

Banstead, Surrey

SIR – Most pubs these days are like a cross between a crèche and a disco. Despite being virulently anti-smoking, I would back its return in pubs if only to get rid of the shrieking infants.

Steve Thomas

Brackley, Northamptonshire

The Bhoys from Brazil

SIR – Cowdenbeath, who have historically been one of the worst teams in Scottish professional football, were, some 30 years ago, nicknamed with true Scottish irony, “The Blue Brazil”.

Given the manner of their capitulation in the World Cup, should Brazil now be called “The Yellow Cowdenbeath”?

Eric Davidson Perth

Big fridges mean fewer trips to the supermarket

SIR – You report on a study commissioned by the Department of Energy & Climate Change urging us to stop buying big fridges and large televisions.

It is a 16-mile (26km) round trip to our nearest good food shop. We take little interest in sell-by dates because what is kept in fridge and freezer will long outlast them. The result is far fewer fuel emissions and fuel costs, and little food wastage.

Professor Michael Jefferson Melchbourne, Bedfordshire

SIR – As an renewable energy consultant engineer, I was bemused by the idea that the middle classes should stop buying large fridges and televisions in order to save £36 per year. The kind of people who have £2,000 to spend on a fridge don’t care about saving money and will gladly drive huge off-road vehicles in urban areas. If the team at Loughborough University had concentrated on helping households do an energy audit, this may have been of more benefit.

In my opinion, if house insulation was improved with air heat exchangers (heat pumps), large electrical devices would actually reduce heating energy bills.

Tim Wynne-Jones Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire

SIR – If I am to buy a smaller fridge, where will I store the copious amounts of fresh produce that I am encouraged by health initiatives to grow in my vegetable patch?